These were the pizza spots you begged your parents to take you to — birthday parties, arcade tokens, bottomless soda, and slices as big as your face. But while some chains kept up with the times, others didn’t stand a chance. Here are some once-popular pizza chains that are quickly losing their footprint across the U.S.
Cicis made its name on one thing: all-you-can-eat pizza for under six bucks. At its peak, it had more than 650 locations across the U.S., feeding the masses with endless slices, pasta, and dessert pizza. But cheap only works for so long.
In 2021, the company filed for bankruptcy and quickly emerged from it — but not without consequences. It lost a significant number of locations in the process. New York lost all its Cicis. Then Michigan. Then Missouri. As of March 2024, the chain is down to 277 stores, half of them in Texas and Florida.
We know this is somewhat a surprising pick, but hear us out: yes, Pizza Hut is still in the top five largest pizza chains in the U.S. with 6,739 locations as of August 2024. The question is, for how long?
In 2019, the chain announced plans to close up to 500 underperforming restaurants over two years.
Also, it has been quietly closing dine-in locations over the past few years, including 15 abrupt closures in the Midwest, with more than 120 others at risk due to legal disputes with franchisees.
Pizza Inn started in Dallas in 1958 and grew into a familiar name across the South. It peaked at 500 locations, mostly doing buffets and takeout in small towns where not much else was going on. When delivery took over, and buffets lost their appeal, the brand never quite kept up. As of April 2025, there are 96 Pizza Inn locations, mostly in Texas and Arkansas.
Shakey’s opened in 1954 in Sacramento and ended up becoming America’s first pizza franchise. By the ‘70s, it had over 500 locations and was the place you went for pizza — but also, mind you, fried chicken and greasy mojo potatoes. It was where you ended up after Little League, not because it was good, but because it was expected. As of 2025, just 44 U.S. locations remain, mostly in California, and somehow it became wildly popular in the Philippines.
Rocky Rococo might not mean much outside the Midwest, but if you grew up there in the ‘80s or ‘90s, it was a big deal. The chain, while never huge, peaked at 120 locations, serving thick pan-style pizza by the slice. It was good enough for a regional chain, but it never broke out nationally. Today, just 31 locations remain, nearly all of them in Wisconsin — still holding it down for square slices and weird nostalgia.
